Construction Update
The contractor should be finished by the end of this week. We will then need to install plumbing, electricity, netting and perches. The goal is to move birds in to their new homes by the end of June.
Thank You for Investing in BMW’s Future!!!
We are nearly two-thirds of the way to our goal of raising $15,000 that will be matched dollar for dollar by Tara, Michele and Dorothy for a study to develop a first-ever model projecting annual post-release population effects directly due to rehabilitation facilities. Your donations total $9,410. There is still time to contribute to this important study. Thank you for your investment in BMW and raptor rehabilitation.
Week in Review
There were 25 new admissions last week. Just eight were raptors, a sure sign of baby season. All but one of the non-raptors were babies. We are really missing interns right now!
Great Horned Owl 20-155
Volunteers Bill and Tiffany rescued this young owl found near Waitsburg, WA. It is suspected that one of his parents was killed by a vehicle strike. The owl is emaciated and very anemic - his initial packed cell volume (PCV) was 9. Generally, if the PCV is below 10, the bird does not survive. While he is not out of the woods yet, this little owl seems determined to beat the odds.
Red-tailed Hawk 20-156
On Saturday evening we received a call from Pacific Power. There had been a power outage in Pendleton caused by Red-tailed Hawks nesting on a power pole. Two hawks had been killed (they thought both of the adult birds), but there were two young hawks still in the nest. The power had been turned off at the pole which was 15 miles northwest of Pendleton. We couldn’t get there before dark, so arrangements were made to get the two hawks out of the nest on Sunday.
When we arrived at the pole we found that one of the dead hawks was an adult. The other was a young bird, almost ready to fledge. The other adult was flying above the pole, very displeased with the human activity near the nest. As the lineman approached the nest in his bucket, both young hawks hopped onto the edge of the nest. As he picked up one hawk, the other one flew! Its flight was perfect, down the hill a good 100 yards to another power pole. The landing was pretty rough and he dropped to the ground. That bird should be fine, however, since its parent was nearby.
We took the other young hawk (a little younger than the one who flew) since there were no nearby trees to place it in and the nest had to be taken down. We suggested that a pole with an osprey platform placed near the power pole the hawks had nested on would provide a safe location for hawks to nest next year.
Thought for the Week
Wearing a mask and practicing social distancing provides an opportunity to protect the health and well-being of vulnerable individuals. Please do not confuse it with an attempt to infringe on your personal rights.
